Eric Slivka

Eric is the Editor-in-Chief of MacRumors and has been writing for the site since 2008.

An avid swimmer and former biophysicist, Eric has been using Apple products for over 35 years and has been interviewed for pieces by The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Reuters, BBC, CNBC, and other publications.

Eric's current primary role involves day-to-day oversight of the editorial operations at MacRumors, but he also contributes occasional news and review articles while handling various other duties related to the site's operation.

Eric Slivka's Articles

apple data center wind hydro

Apple Begins Construction on First Phase of Oregon Data Center

Friday October 19, 2012 6:41 am PDT by
The Oregonian reports (via Wired) that Apple has begun construction on the $68 million first phase of its data center project in Prineville, Oregon. The first phase will see the construction of one of two 338,000 square foot buildings planned for the site, but that building will apparently only be partially fitted out for the time being.The price tag covers the cost of one building and two "data ...
iphone 5 coming soon

Apple Looks to Distributors to Expand iPhone Sales in India

Thursday October 18, 2012 1:22 pm PDT by
The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple is on the verge of a significant expansion of its iPhone sales effort in India, bringing on two large distribution companies to help bring the device to more points of sale. The iPhone has so far been available almost exclusively through mobile phone carriers in the country, but with the iPhone 5 reportedly launching next week, the company appears to be ...
epeat

EPEAT Defends Verification of Ultrathin Notebooks for Environmental Registry

Thursday October 18, 2012 10:26 am PDT by
Earlier this week, we noted that Apple's Retina MacBook Pro and newest MacBook Air models had been among a number of ultrathin notebooks whose eligibility for inclusion on the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) registry had been verified. The approval came with some clarifications of the EPEAT standards that were criticized by some, including iFixit's Kyle Wiens, as...
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Apple's Color Labs Acquisition Involves Only Color's Engineering Team

Thursday October 18, 2012 9:43 am PDT by
Late yesterday, The Next Web reported that Apple was finalizing a deal to acquire Color Labs, the video streaming service and app founded by Lala Media veteran Bill Nguyen. The report came at the end of a confusing day in which an internal memo indicated that the company was being shut down, only to have the company deny those claims. AllThingsD now provides significantly more clarity to...
mac mini imac 2011

New iMac and Mac Mini Models to Retain Current Pricing, Add 8 GB RAM Module Options

Thursday October 18, 2012 8:14 am PDT by
9to5Mac reports that prices for Apple's new iMac and Mac mini coming next week will be in line with current pricing, almost certainly confirming that the new iMac models will not carry more-expensive Retina displays.The three Mac mini models will likely be priced at the same $599, $799, and $999 for the two standard models and single server model, respectively. The new iMacs will also feature...
wangfujing retail store

Apple Opening Massive New Beijing Retail Store This Weekend

Thursday October 18, 2012 6:57 am PDT by
Apple is preparing to open its third retail store in Beijing this weekend, with the massive new Wangfujung store representing yet another high-profile entry for the company. The Next Web was on hand for the media preview today, gaining an early look at the new store and hearing from Apple retail chief John Browett, who also acknowledged that Apple is working to open a new store in Shenzhen,...
galaxy tab 10 1 revised

Apple Loses Appeal on UK Ruling Requiring Ads Acknowledging Samsung Did Not Infringe iPad Design

Thursday October 18, 2012 6:41 am PDT by
Back in early July, a UK court ruled that Samsung had not infringed upon the design of the iPad with its own Galaxy Tab device, with judge Colin Birss ruling that the Galaxy Tab was simply "not as cool" as the iPad. Roughly a week later, Birss ruled that Apple must publish advertisements on its website and in newspapers acknowledging that Samsung did not copy the iPad's design. Apple quickly a...
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iPhone 5 Represented 21% of Verizon's 3.1 Million iPhone Activations in 3Q 2012

Thursday October 18, 2012 6:25 am PDT by
Verizon today became the first major U.S. iPhone carrier to report earnings for the third quarter of 2012, giving some insight into iPhone sales one week before Apple reports its numbers. In a conference call following the earnings release, Verizon revealed that it activated 3.1 million iPhones during the quarter, representing approximately 46% of its total smartphone activations of 6.8...
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Apple Reportedly Acquiring Streaming Video Firm Color Labs

Wednesday October 17, 2012 8:12 pm PDT by
Just after the revelation that Apple has acquired Web app startup Particle, The Next Web reports that Apple is also in the process of acquiring Color Labs. Color, which raised a substantial $41 million round of financing even before launching last year, arrived as a photo sharing service that has since morphed into a streaming video service.We’ve heard through trusted sources that the startup...
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Apple Acquires HTML5 Web Firm Particle

Wednesday October 17, 2012 8:04 am PDT by
CNET reports that Apple has acquired Particle, a small San Francisco-based startup firm specializing in HTML5 Web and Web app work. The acquisition is said to have been for the company's talent rather than any specific project it was working on.The company has done HTML5 work for Google, Motorola, Amazon, Yahoo, Sony, and Apple. The group has also created some "labs" projects including...
ipad mini invite

Rumors and Speculation of November 2 'iPad Mini' Launch Building

Wednesday October 17, 2012 7:45 am PDT by
Earlier today, Geeky Gadgets reported that it has received word from a retailer in the United Kingdom indicating that the "iPad mini" will be launching on November 2 in at least the United States and UK, with pre-orders reportedly set to begin on October 26. 9to5Mac also issued a Tweet today stating that it has "heard whispers" of a November 2 launch. As we noted earlier this week, November...
iphone 5 teardown complete

Foxconn Executive Speaks to Difficulty of iPhone 5 Assembly

Wednesday October 17, 2012 7:04 am PDT by
Following word that increased quality control standards for the iPhone 5 assembly process have slowed Foxconn's production and increased stress on workers, The Wall Street Journal shares comments from an unnamed Foxconn executive explaining the difficulty in assembling the device.“The iPhone 5 is the most difficult device that Foxconn has ever assembled. To make it light and thin, the design...
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Photos of 4:3 Display from Apple's 'iPad Mini' Surface

Wednesday October 17, 2012 6:52 am PDT by
Parts firm ETrade Supply ">posts several photos of what it believes to be a legitimate display from Apple's forthcoming "iPad mini" set for introduction at next Tuesday's media event. The display is said to be of the same 4:3 aspect ratio of the full-size iPad and measures 162 mm x 124 mm. Text on the back of the display suggests that the part was manufactured by LG Display, and text on...
ipad mini invite

Apple Issues Invitations for October 23 Media Event

Tuesday October 16, 2012 9:03 am PDT by
The Loop reports that Apple has just sent out invitations for a media event scheduled for next Tuesday, October 23. The event will be held at the California Theatre in San Jose, California and is scheduled to begin at 10:00 AM Pacific / 1:00 PM Eastern. The tagline on the invitation reads "We've got a little more to show you." Apple is widely expected to introduce its "iPad mini" at the iBoo...
epeat retina macbook pro

EPEAT Verifies Retina MacBook Pro Eligibility for Environmental Registry

Tuesday October 16, 2012 8:40 am PDT by
Four months ago, Apple pulled its products from the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) registry, with sources indicating that Apple's design direction for its increasingly thin mobile products was incompatible with EPEAT's criteria for "disassemble-ability" and other factors. Just a week later, Apple responded to significant criticism of the move by placing "all eligible...
imacs 2011 mountain lion

iMac Reportedly Set to Receive Updates Next Week [Updated]

Tuesday October 16, 2012 6:56 am PDT by
As part of its report detailing part numbers for the "iPad mini", AppleInsider briefly mentions that Apple appears set to launch updated iMacs on October 24, the day after the company's rumored media event.The person also added that Apple is rumored to begin selling new iMac desktops on Oct. 24, one day after the anticipated Oct. 23 event. While there have been rumblings of an iMac update for...
ipad mini part numbers

Part Numbers Reveal Apple's Plan for 24 Different 'iPad Mini' Models [Updated x2]

Tuesday October 16, 2012 6:47 am PDT by
AppleInsider has posted a list of 24 different model numbers said to be for Apple's "iPad mini" scheduled for introduction at a media event next Tuesday. According to the list, the iPad will be available in four basic device variants that presumably correspond to different capacities: P101, P103, P105, and P107. The set of four variants suggests that Apple may be releasing the iPad mini...
lightning connector chips

Apple's Lightning Cable Contains TI Chip 'Likely' to Have Security Features

Monday October 15, 2012 9:05 pm PDT by
Apple's new Lightning connector introduced on the iPhone 5 has generated a significant amount of interest, both from a usage standpoint as the company abandons its nearly decade-old 30-pin dock connector and from a technical perspective. On the technical side, the new Lightning connector uses adaptive technology to enable it to perform a variety of functions with just eight contact pins,...
icloud com shared reminders

Apple Adds Shared Reminders to iCloud.com Web App

Monday October 15, 2012 10:19 am PDT by
While Apple added dedicated Notes and Reminders web apps to iCloud.com last month, the web-based implementation of Reminders left out at least one important feature: shared reminders. OS X Mountain Lion users have been able to share reminders via the native Reminders app as of OS X 10.8.2, but Windows users and others needing to access iCloud via the service's website have been unable to set...
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13-Inch Retina MacBook Pro Said to Carry 'Unprecedented' Battery Design, Same Port Layout as 15-Inch Model

Monday October 15, 2012 9:46 am PDT by
With multiple reports now indicating that Apple will be introducing its 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro at next week's rumored media event, details on the machine are also beginning to leak out. According to a forum thread [Google translation] posted to Chinese site WeiPhone.com last week, the new 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro will indeed be launching late this month. The report claims that it will...